Dirāyah in the Arabic language refers to knowledge acquired through effort and skill. In the context of Islamic scholarship, it signifies a profound, critical comprehension that goes beyond memorization to true internalization. This meaning reflects the mission of Dirāyah Seminary: to provide an academically rigorous Islamic education, grounded in the authenticity of orthodox Islamic tradition while engaging the challenges and questions of our contemporary world.
Our Origins
Dirayah Seminary was born out of the realization of the pressing need within the Muslim community of Long Island, New York for local, in-person, Islamic learning opportunities for adults. While online formal Islamic educational programs have become widespread and accessible, it remains that the most transformative spiritual and intellectual growth occurs by sitting directly with the teacher in live settings where students absorb not only the teacher’s knowledge but also their mannerisms, character, and subtleties that cannot be transmitted through a screen.
Recognizing this fact, a few members of the local community with backgrounds in Islamic scholarship and entrepreneurship set out to create a program that bridges the gap between weekend school education and more advanced, formal Islamic studies.
Our Vision and Approach
Dirāyah Seminary plans to offer pathways for continued learning for both full-time and part-time students. Our curriculum covers the traditional Islamic sciences (including Qur’anic studies, Hadith, Fiqh, Aqīdah, Arabic, Tazkiyah, Kalām, Sīrah and later history) as well as engagement with topics of modernity, ethics, culture, politics, and social challenges facing Muslims today. We strive to nurture graduates who are both knowledgeable in their faith and aware of the world around them.
Our approach is to foster a culture of learning and create environments that cultivate student camaraderie and fellowship that will be impactful both for the participants and for the wider community. Within these settings, students develop confidence and grounding in their Muslim identity and an eagerness to offer meaningful social contributions.
Dirāyah Seminary is committed to the principles of Sunni orthodoxy and embraces scholars and students from diverse traditions. We aim to create inclusive learning spaces that don’t mandate uniformity, but rather encourage critical thinking and thoughtful questioning.
We ask Allah ﷻ that he allow this initiative to contribute to the revival of a learned and principled Muslim community, both locally and beyond.
We strive to nurture graduates
Our Vision and Approach
Dirāyah Seminary plans to offer pathways for continued learning for both full-time and part-time students. Our curriculum covers the traditional Islamic sciences (including Qur’anic studies, Hadith, Fiqh, Aqīdah, Arabic, Tazkiyah, Sīrah and later history, Kalām, and more) as well as contemporary intellectual engagement on topics of modernity, ethics, culture, politics, and social challenges facing Muslims today. We strive to nurture graduates who are both knowledgeable in their faith and aware of the world around them.
Our approach is to foster a culture of learning and create environments that cultivate student camaraderie and fellowship that will be impactful both for the participants and for the wider community. Within these settings, students develop confidence and grounding in their Muslim identity and an eagerness to offer meaningful social contributions.
Dirāyah Seminary is committed to the principles of Sunni orthodoxy and embraces scholars and students from diverse scholarly traditions. We aim to create inclusive learning spaces that don’t mandate uniformity, but rather encourage critical thinking and thoughtful questioning.
We ask Allah ﷻ that this initiative contributes to the revival of a learned and principled Muslim community, both locally and beyond.
Our Origins
Dirāyah Seminary was born out of the realization of the pressing need within the Muslim community of Long Island, New York for local, in-person, undergraduate level Islamic learning opportunities that focus on bridging tradition with the challenges of modern life.
While online formal Islamic educational programs have become widespread and accessible, it remains that the most transformative spiritual and intellectual growth occurs by sitting directly with the teacher in live settings where students absorb not only the teacher’s knowledge but also their mannerisms, character, and subtleties that cannot be transmitted through a screen.
Recognizing this fact, a few local members of the community with backgrounds in Islamic scholarship and entrepreneurship set out to create a program that bridges the gap between weekend school education and advanced, formal Islamic studies.
Our Vision and Approach
Dirāyah Seminary was born out of the realization of the pressing need within the Muslim community of Long Island, New York for local, in-person, undergraduate level Islamic learning opportunities that focus on bridging tradition with the challenges of modern life.
